Rudolph Spengler ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

Rudolph was born March 1, 1721, at Weyler, under Steinsberg, on the Elsenz, in the Rhenish Palatinate, now in Baden, and came with his father and mother and brothers Jonas and Bernhard and sister Anna Maria, to America in 1727. He was naturalized September 24, 1762. His brother Jonas and he, prior to 1738, were located by their father on 719 acres of land near the Little Conewago Creek, on the "Conococheague Road," afterwards in Paradise township, (now Jackson), seven miles West of York, subsequently known as the Spangler Valley. Every acre of this tract forty years ago was occupied and owned by Spanglers. (ed note: entry dated 1898) On an accurate survey made of the same in 1765 in pursuance of a second warrant issued by the Surveyor General in 1763, this tract measured seven hundred and nineteen acres and allowance, of which 363 acres and 154 perches, western portion, were patented to Rudolph Spengler, in trust for the wife and children of Jonas, then deceased. A copy of the original warrant of October 16th, 1738, issued by Thomas Penn, and on file in the interior department at Harrisburg, will be found under the title of Rudolph Spengler, (Son of Caspar).

Thomas Penn, and Richard Penn, through John Penn, true and Absolute Proprietors and Governors in Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, dated the 14th day of October, 1767, the 7th year of the Reign of King George the Third over Great Britain, etc., and the 50th year of the said Proprietors' Government. .....The deed is endorsed, "Patent Rudolph Spengler, Spenglesberg, York county." This 356 tract was bounded by lands of Jacob Wiest, John Myers, Philip Crist, John Appleman, and the said heirs of Jonas Spengler, deceased. The consideration for this patent to Rudolph was the payment of 50 pounds, 8 shillings lawful money of Pennsylvania, and the yearly Quit Rent of one half penny sterling for every acre thereof, if the same thereof is coin current according as the exchange shall be between said Province and the City of London.

This entire tract was then a dense forest, and as late as 1769 only 15 acres of the tract was in grain. His widow was then assessed 3 horses, 2 cows and 2 sheep. The large springs upon it were favorite places for the wigwams of the Indians, and around one of which, as late as thirty years ago, arrow heads and tomahawks were annually ploughed up in great abundance. The grant was in "free and common socage by fealty in lieu of all other services, and included all the Mines, Minerals, Quarries, Marshes, Savannahs, Swamps, Cripples, Woods, Underwoods, Trees, Timbers, Ways, Waters, Watercourses, Liberties, Profits, Commodities, Advantages, Hereditaments, and Appurtenances, whatsoever thereto belonging. Three full and clear fifths parts of all the Royal Mines, free from all deductions and reprisals, for digging and refining the same and also one fifth part of the ore of all other mines delivered at the Pitts Mouth only excepted and hereby reserved."

In 1769 Rudolph was assessed 15 acres of grain, 3 horses, 3 cows and 2 sheep. He, by articles of agreement dated April 12, 1781, sold the 356 acres of land to Henry Spengler and Bernhard Spengler, his sons, for 480 pounds, reserving fifty acres thereof for his own use during his life. After Rudolph's death, his widow, Barbara, and his children executed deeds dated March 13, 1787, to said Henry and Bernhard for said land; the land conveyed to Henry being bounded by lands of Philip Crist, and contained 180 acres, and allowance of six per cent. of roads, etc., and the consideration paid being 225 pounds sterling. Upon the death of Henry, two of his sons, John and Rudolph, acquired the title to the same by purchase. On April 15, 1833, John and Rudolph by deed made a division of this land, the portion taken by Rudolph measuring 101 acres and 61 perches. This tract in Jackson township, (formerly Paradise) was purchased by David Myers in 1857, from the administrators of Rudolph Spengler, deceased; and is now owned by Jonas Myers, heir of David Myers, deceased (ed. Note: Text written 1898) The large spring on this tract was, during the Indian occupation, the camping ground of the red man. Tomahawks by the score and arrow-heads by the hundred were found around it forty years ago, upon the forests being felled and the soil turned up by the plough. Rudolph Spengler died about 1782 and his remains were interred in the Pigeon Hill churchyard. Letters of administration on his personal estate were granted November 9, 1784, to Philip Jacob and his wife Barbara (late the widow of the said Rudolph Spengler,) and George Kann, one of his sons-in-law. The administration account was stated by the distinguished Revolutionary Soldier, Congressman and Lawyer, Col. Thomas Hartley,1 and filed in the Register's office of York county, Pa., November 27, 1789. ⁵

Rudolph married Barbara Hoffman. (Barbara Hoffman was born on 5 Jun 1728 in Eppingen, Landkreis Heilbronn, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany,⁶ died in 1784 in York County, Pennsylvania, USA ⁶ and was buried in Trinity Roths United Chuch of Christ Cemetery, York County, Pennsylvania, USA.)